Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-30
CONDUCTING
THE ART OF LEADING AN ORCHESTRA
PROPERLY.
The Methods Of Noted Leaders-Faults
10 be hvoided-some Famous
Conductors.
lpenlamln cutter. in Musical RevIev.I

|
same" These seem good words to be
| gin with. For one trait of tru
Nv skilful conductor is, that what
ever the emergency, however unfore
seen, and in whatever part n mis-
take or failure may occur, nc
matter how disastrous and dis
hcartening, the stick still goes on in1t'
accustomed way and remains a thing
unto which the scared performers look
for reliance and confidence. A case like
this should bring the conductors face
to the erring part or parts, his good
Judgment will decide whether frowr
or n cheering smile and nod are need
ed, but the baton must swing uninter.
rIIptedly. As TO this turning OF the face
on the players or singers, more later.
If the face be turned, let it not intimi-
date.
There are men who, baton in hand,
are Intentionally overbearing and
hard-buldozers There are men who
unintentiOnally find ways to intimidate
singers and players, to make them I'M
certain, and at last even so desperate
that in the performance they take mat
tiers into their own hands, make their
own shading, and bring out work in
a way entirely differing from the con-
ductor's intentions. There stands be-
fore my mind a conductor who suffers
in Just this manner. The fault is,
however, wholly his To-day a pas
sage is "too loud in the flute
the clarinet cannot be heard ;
but tomorrow he will cry angrily :
Louder in the flute you must bal
ance with the clarinet .; and the day
after he will moan in despair Gen
tlemen. the fute and clarinet are too
loud / must hear the horns" Epi-
sodes or this sort occur rehearsal
after rehearsal. The original markings
of parts, the composers signs, are
changed a Piano becomes a .f0rtc, and
rjcc rcrs0; the next day they are
changed again, and at last the men,
not knowing exactly what to do, play
as said above in sort OF
desperation. quite as they please,
and that which the public calls Mr.. So
and-So's splendid conception is in
reality not his, but the orchsstra's.
Now, my friend conductor, TO be fully
successful Won must manage your or
chestra as Won would a bloOded horse
hold well in hand, but never nag, and
lee certain in what You do. 4 conductor
who studies his score while his men play
their parts, and onlyat the third rehear-
sal finds what he wants and then fails IN
getting il because he has irritated and
confused his players, IS not vet a mas
ter His weaknesses will be soon spied
out. and possibly 10y men as well edu-
atcd rs he and there are those in
very orchestra who lo not fear 10 dis
uss openly and depreciatingly the
ault- of those above them. l think
cyclal morals can be drawn from this
paragraph without my mention, so |
pass on 10 my next thought.
| desire to say word about the
Glancc-that is, the Looking-it the
Players of a Part Wagner tells how
Spontini, an Italian who wrote great
operas LOW lanentably forgotten, came
to Dresden to bring ont some works,
and how he wondered when Spontini.
though very near-sighted removed his
glasses. Wagner says he soon found
that the simple turning OF the stern,
earnest face towards part or section Of
the orchestra had an instantaneous ef-
rect Berlin critics spoke OF the same
thing in their days; the eyes which saw
not, never failed to eniiyen witherso-
ever they were turned. No doubt the
character OF the man had agency here,
but the glance Of the eye, the turning
Of the face, the interested presence Of
the conductor, can inspire his players.
As an instance. the writer remembers
how, while conducting one OF his sym
phonic poems, the Frenchman, Saint
Saens, having a long crCscenf0 with a
passionate melody in the first violins,
turned him bodily-feet, head, and
ALTO this section, and beating
as it were only 20 and for these violins,
worked up climax with brilliancy of
which We had hardly supposed our or
chestra capable. There is much in
presence. in the face is often an over
flowing well of power. But do not
turn continually to the same man when
Won correct a part do not cast your
angry face and flashing eye on one
player How keenly do | remember
the words and expostulations which
seemed To fall on me alone, as |
one season led the second violins in
a large amateur orchestra; and how well
We laughed when one Of the veterans,
for years member, begged me not 10
gow vrathy. at isnot you, he said,
- il is those boys behind you, who can
not play pjGto." Simple as this seems,
il contains a valuable principle for no
more should you apply your words OF
correction To one man alone than You
should drill the violin-players indi-
,idually on difficult places.
IN the last paper said something
lbout the second violinS facing inward
md being at a disadvantage in bal
lncing with the other parts. This
brings me to the subject of seating the
players, a matter which belongs outside
Of conducting proper, but is included in
t as the rearing of kline is included in
agriculture.
Although concert anf theatre orches-
ras, having once fixed upon their ways
IF seating, hold fast to them in every
,ase, it appears to the writer that fire.
luent notifications are necessary. In
which calls for frequent
of the clarinets-we sup
pose a case-why should the players
lOld their usual seats when by diff !
erent seating the tone popularity can |
De made more prominent ? We see no |
'eason why in concert orchestra such |
IN instruments or instruments as have |
prominent parts might not be moved |
With propriety into the space be-
ween the violins and directly |
acing the audience. To every |
question there are two sides. Feasible |
n some compositions, in others this |
would be impracticable. The compli- |
alton of scores, the entrusting of a |
nelodic phrase or of an accent to an |
nner part, played by IN instrument |
possibly weak, and, by virtue of its
,lacing, hindered in displaying its full
st and freest tone,-the overcoming or
he circumventing of such difficulties
S one of the conductors greatest
asks. If it is difficult in Wagner |
III ,c,t - o1oo